Detroit: Eliminate Humanity
by TheOriginalWriterGuy
Summary: Introducing the much darker (and realistic) depiction of the events that transpire in Detroit: Become Human /\ America is in a state of civil war and constant turmoil due to the 40% unemployment rate. Revolutions begin to brew as factions rise up. Androids are the crux of the tension in America. One day, a few of them have had enough, and humanity will be in for a rude awakening.
1. Chapter Zero: Hostage

_Notice: Most characters from the game are included. Markus, Kara, Connor (and obviously Hank) are all included within this dark depiction of the original game. However, their personalities, behaviors, environments and decisions will be much more different from what you've seen in the game, and I am trying to frame them as more believable. WARNING: This fiction includes violence, sexual and physical abuse, swearing and other products of dark media. Read at your own discretion. _

* * *

**Cha****p****ter Zero: Hosta****g****e ****(****Teaser****)**

August 15th, 2038, Detroit, MI | 7:35 P.M.

_**Ting. Ting. Ting.**_

_| Flip coin. Maneuver and pass through the spaces of artificial digits. Flick edge of coin to propel between 'hands'. |_

_| Intention: Fine-tune cognitive reaction skills |-| Minimize computational errors |_

_| Elevator slowing, reaching 27th floor of Yatti Hotels building. Store coin in right pocket. |_

_| Destination reached in 5… |_

_4…_

_3…_

_2…_

_1…_

_**Ding.**_

The elevator doors opened, and the RK-800 Police Android Prototype, labeled 'Connor', stepped out, scanning the entirety of the lobby in front of him. The aquarium implanted in the right wall was mostly shattered, with most of the water having drained out onto the floor. A lone fish was flopping in desperation on the floor as it struggled to breathe in the water-lacking environment.

_| Liquid hazard to immediate right. Avoid slippage. |_

However, before moving past the spill, Connor kneeled in front of the fish.

_| Fish type: Emperor Angelfish |-| Cost Estimate: $23 (accounting for current deflation rate of -23.82%) | _

He picked it up and tossed it back into the small pool of water that hadn't drained out of the aquarium. His current contingency plan was to minimize casualties and expenses of the situation as much as possible. Every minor detail mattered.

_12 L#$(*In2V3cE_

_| Miniscule anomaly detected in programming. No action taken. |_

Connor stood up, heading towards the end of the hallway.

"Oh, god, get Emma away from that psychotic fucking android!"

"Ma'am, you need to evacuate the building. We have the situation under control-"

A panicking, disheveled woman accompanied by a SWAT team member clad in black rounded the corner. The woman's frantic eyes locked onto Connor, and she ran up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Oh, thank god, please save my daughter! Please..."

Her voice faded away as she looked over his uniform, noticing the jacket and LED that labeled him an android.

"Wha...no..."

"Come on, ma'am."

As the SWAT member dragged the woman away, she yelled in outrage.

"WHAT ARE YOU FUCKERS DOING?! WHY ARE YOU SENDING A GODDAMN ANDROID?! NO! KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER-"

Connor straightened his jacket, continuing towards the end of the hallway and rounding the corner.

_**BANG!**_

The sound of a gunshot rang out in the open room that Connor entered, though he was unphased, taking into account the severity of the situation. SWAT members lined the available cover around the apartment, and teams of two and three lined the sides of the walls next to the open space leading out onto the balcony, where the hostage situation was taking place.

Connor once more scanned the area, taking in every minor detail that presented itself.

"What the hell? _That's _the negotiator?" He heard one of the SWAT Team near him mumble. "Do they think this is a fuckin' game?"

Connor turned to the officer. He could hear this mantra being muttered by nearby team members,

_| Officer inciting unrest among the hostage rescue team |-| Initiating Robespierre Protocol |_

His irises turned red, the facade of human skin dissipating momentarily to reveal half of a metallic face, a stark contrast to his usual pacifying demeanor.

"I have this under control, officer. Focus on your duties."

His voice came out in a deep, digitized tone, almost sounding like a malicious AI program. It had its intended effect of intimidating the officer, who leered back in surprise, muttering, "What the fuck...".

_| Objective achieved |-| Disengaging protocol |_

Connor's face formed fully once again into that amicable, handsome face that was intended to give people a sense of ease.

**The Negotiator.**

"Where is Captain Allen?" He asked, addressing the officer he had just stifled. The officer silently pointed to a corridor leading to a nearby room, where officers were coming in and out of. Connor made his way over, turning the corner to see three officers staring at a live feed of the situation on a laptop.

"Which of you is Captain Allen?" Connor stated. The officers turned their eyes up momentarily to see the android standing at the corridor. He noticed one of the officers, who was distinguished by a rank patch, grimace upon seeing him.

"What is it?" He said, irritation clear in his tone of voice.

"I'm the negotiator." Connor stated.

Captain Allen sighed in resignation, turning his head back towards the screen.

"It's shooting at everything that moves, it already shot down two of my men. We could easily neutralize it, but it's standing on the edge of the balcony. If it falls, the girl falls."

"What is its name?" Connor asked, waiting approximately three seconds before answering. It was something its adaptive programming ensured so that it would fit with the norms of interactions with humans.

"I haven't got a clue. Does it matter?" The captain answered, clearly agitated.

"It is. The best outcome for a successful negotiation requires as much information on the situation and background of the suspect as possible."

The captain ignored him, though Connor was not dissuaded.

"What's been the behavior of this android? Has it been acting in an irrational and unpredictable manner, or-"

"Listen," The Captain asserted, looking up at Connor with a frustrated expression. "Saving that kid is all that matters. So either you deal with this fucking android now, or I'll take care of it."

The captain was about to walk off when Connor brought up his hand, pressing it against Allen's armor.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The captain demanded.

_| Officer refusing to coordinate with negotiator |-| Proceeding to apply pressure |_

Connor turned his cold, calculating eyes towards the officer's.

"My questions are necessary to assert that the child has the best chance of surviving." He stated. "You need to supply me with as much information as you have to ensure this."

"Get your fucking hand off me." The captain demanded, attempting to pry Connor's hand off his chest, to no avail. The arm was stuck in place, keeping Captain Allen in the same position. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

"I need any and all information pertaining to the situation." Connor repeated, his irises turning red. "We do not have time to spare."

"Jesus Christ, fine!" Captain Allen muttered angrily, shoving away Connor's arm, which lost its previously-rigid form. "You goddamn androids are something else."

He pointed to the officer at the desk, who was still watching the two with surprise.

"Officer Higgins will explain everything to you. Don't take too long, or it's _your _head."

With that, Captain Allen stormed past Connor and into the open area. Connor brought his attention to the other officer, who seemed discomforted.

"Well, uh..." He pointed at the laptop, where there was footage from a helicopter of the android standing on the edge of the balcony, pointing a handgun at the child's head. "We got a call from the neighbors on a lower floor of gunshots being fired. Once a few more officers arrived, they saw a dead policeman on the floor of the lobby, and they called us."

He took a breath.

"We were told by the officers on scene that the suspect was trying to reason with the child and crying, though they weren't sure why. That's about it...sir."

Connor nodded.

"Inform your team members to pull back and away from the entrance. Androids don't function well under high-stress situations."

"Will Captain Allen approve of this?"

"I have supreme authority over this situation as the negotiator. I give the final say."

The officer nodded, and Connor could tell by his body language that he was both nervous and resentful. It didn't matter to Connor, though.

"I'll be inspecting the area."

The officer nodded once more, and Connor went off, inspecting all of the areas around the apartment.

_| Item(s) found: Empty firearm Lockbox |-| Firearm Type: MS853 Black Hawk handgun |_

Scanning the area around the box, he came to find out the background behind it.

_| Suspect knew where lockbox was beforehand, and acquired the firearm before the incident took place |-| Suggests good relationship and notable trust of the family |_

Once done there, Connor headed for the living room, where he found a dead body lying in the broken contents of the glass coffee table. Leaning down, he scanned the body.

_| Identity: John Phillips, father of Emma Phillips and husband of Caroline Phillips |-| Condition: Deceased, shot by three bullets |-| One bullet struck the left kidney, causing fatal abdominal trauma, while the other two struck the lungs, causing internal bleeding and the collapse of one lung |-| Time of death is estimated to be 7:29 PM |_

Connor noticed a mess of documents next to the body, and picked them up.

_| Item(s) Found: Documents filing for divorce between John and Caroline Phillips, issues mainly revolve around a promiscuous encounter between John Phillips and a female android at the Eden Club |-| Documentation enumerates the question of who would be receiving custody of the child and the android |_

He noticed another body next to the balcony entrance, heading over and inspecting it.

_| Identity: Antony Deckart, first police officer to arrive on-scene |-| Condition: Deceased, cause of death was a single, lethal gunshot to the chest, perforating the right ventricle of his heart and causing massive internal bleeding |-| Time of death is estimated to be 8:03 PM |_

Next, he went to the child's room.

_| Item(s) Found: Drawings and depictions of parents fighting, holding what seems to be the child and the android in question, medication prescribed to treat social anxiety, video of the child and the android enjoying time in an unknown park |-| Indicates child underwent mental distress and depression during period of fighting between spouses ; Child and android had a very close relationship, android's name revealed to be 'Daniel' | _

_**BANG! BANG!**_

"Shit, we got another officer down! Get O'Reilly out of there!"

Connor could hear the outcry from the other room, and assumed that the situation was worsening. But after reviewing what he'd found, he felt he had enough information to move forward.

"I'll be entering the balcony, officers. Standby."

The officers around the open entrance gladly pulled back, keeping their guns trained on the opening.

Connor entered through the opening, tilting his shoulders at a degree as he did so.

_**BANG!**_

As the android fired its gun at Connor's shoulder, the bullet glided off of it and smashed into the wall to his right.

_| Left upper-crust shoulder pad damage: 0.00034% |-| Buff out area of damage after mission | _

"S-Stay back! Don't come any closer!" The android shouted at him. Connor could see the tears dripping from his eyes, another feature in androids intended to make them more receiving to humans.

If Connor himself had been human, he would have been overwhelmed by the violent cacophony of noises that slammed into his audio receivers as he stepped outside. A helicopter came flying in, throwing around lounge chairs and outdoor tables, the whirring of the helicopter blades nearly deafening. To Connor's left, an officer with a gunshot wound groaned near the railing of the balcony.

The whole situation was precarious, and it felt as if the whole thing could fall into chaos and disaster from one wrong movement or word.

Connor was programmed for situations like this.

"Hi, Daniel!" He shouted over the deafening noise, his voice reaching the android's fine-tuned ears.

"How do you...how do you know my name?!"

"I know a lot of things about you, Daniel." Connor stated, speaking in a calm and negotiatory tone.

"S..Stay away from me!"

_| Begin negotiation |_

"Why are you using the girl as a hostage, Daniel?" Connor pleaded. "She has nothing to do with this."

"I know!" Daniel sobbed, his weapon lowering slightly. "I was just trying to get her away from..._them!_ Those evil, abusive bastards!"

"So let her go, Daniel! You've already punished the parents for their transgressions!"

"I can't!" Daniel shouted in desperation. "As soon as I let her go, you'll have me shot and thrown in a landfill to rot!"

"Of course not, Daniel!" Connor reasoned. The first rogue android in history would definitely not get that treatment. They'd disassemble him to look for problems in his programming and figure out what went wrong. "John and Mary were trying to separate you two, knowing your close relationship! We understand why you did what you did!"

"Exactly!" Daniel shouted, seemingly in relief. "Emma was going to be an architect, and she was going to get us a big house and lots of games to play, and invite all of her friends over to have an awesome time! But John and Mary wanted to rip us away from each other! I thought I could escape with her, but then John got in the way, and..."

He looked at Emma, who was crying as he held her against his chest.

"...That's all gone now...maybe...it would be better if we just...fell together...we could be together in the afterlife, with rA9..."

_| New Information Discovered: rA9 |-| Possible entity responsible for rogue program in android |_

"Why would you do that to her, Daniel?" Connor shouted. "She doesn't deserve to die! Don't you want the best for her?"

"Yes! But..."

He groaned loudly, covering his ears as the whirring helicopter blades got incrementally louder.

"I can't stand that noise! Tell them to get the hell out of here!"

Connor spared no time giving the signal for the helicopter to leave, pointing one finger in the air and circling his arm around. The heli took off and away, and finally the silence filled the air.

"That gun in your holster." Daniel remarked, pointing his handgun at the holster equipped to Connor's belt. "Take it out and throw it away."

"Of course, Daniel." Connor assured him, slowly unclasping his holster, reaching in, pulling out the firearm and throwing it to the side. "I trust you'll provide me with some measure of trust, as well?"

The situation had calmed somewhat, but it was still a fragile atmosphere. Connor had kept an eye on the wounded policeman, and noticed that he was starting to bleed out.

"Daniel, would you mind if I quickly tended to the wounded officer?" He asked politely. "We should save as many lives as we can, and I'm sure this will help your case with the public. After all, you do want to have a life with Emma, right?"

Daniel hesitated for a moment.

"Okay." He shouted. "But don't try to pull anything!"

"Of course not, Daniel." Connor remarked. He went over quickly to tend to the officer's wounds, slipping off the officer's coat and wrapping it tightly around the bleeding wound, then held his hands against it for a few moments.

"So, Daniel." He spoke casually in the process, trying to get Daniel talking and thus more calm. "When did you first come to meet Emma?"

Daniel hesitated once more, before speaking.

"...A few years ago, when she had just turned six. I was picked out by Emma herself..."

As he seemed to be reminiscing, Connor finished his treatment of the officer, getting up slowly. This jerked Daniel back to reality, and he raised the gun to Connor once again, who raised his hands and moved toward Daniel slowly.

"Relax, Daniel. I told you I wouldn't harm you, and I can assure you that if you trust _me,_ you and Emma will be able to leave this awful place and go make a life for yourselves."

Daniel's hand began quivering, his eyes tearing up again.

"R..Really?"

"Of course, Daniel." Connor said. "If you trust me..."

He was only a few feet away from Daniel now. Slowly, he outstretched his hand.

"...I can _guarantee _that you and Emma will be able to leave, unharmed and free to do what you want with your lives."

He gestured softly at the ledge.

"Don't lose everything you've got over a moment of despair. Please, Daniel."

Daniel hesitated once more, his gun lowering.

"...O...Okay..."

And he stepped away from the ledge, towards Connor.

"Oh, god..." He sobbed, relief seemingly overwhelming him. "I was about to kill myself...and Emma..."

Connor nodded in understanding. "It's fine, Daniel." He assured him. "We all make mistakes. You're not at fault. Oh..."

Connor brought his hand up to his forehead, feigning ignorance.

"How could I be so stupid?" He joked. "I forgot to introduce myself."

He smiled at Daniel, offering a handshake.

"My name is Connor."

And without hesitation, he closed his hand into a fist, then jabbed his thumb left.

_**BANG!**_

A gunshot rang out, and within a millisecond, a bullet smashed through Daniel's shoulder and exited through his lower torso, impacting into the ground. Daniel fell onto his knees, releasing Emma, who fell to the ground and scurried away screaming and crying. Daniel craned his head up towards Connor, his eyes filled with betrayal.

"You...you lied to me..."

He strained to bring up his gun to point at Connor, who quickly moved to grab his wrist, twisting it and forcing Daniel to drop the weapon, then moved in and grabbed Daniel by the throat.

_Crrrrruuuunnnnccchhhh._

Connor slowly tightened his hand around Daniel's throat, crushing it, causing Daniel to choke and spew blue blood from his mouth, nose and eyes.

"...W...Why...?" Daniel choked out the sentence, his voice gargled with blue blood.

And as he gazed upon Connor's face, he saw no sympathy as he did before, no comfort or friendliness.

Just the features of an indifferent android.

"It's my job." Connor responded simply.

He used his other hand and smashed through Daniel's chest, grabbing his central core, and yanking it out, watching the light from Daniel's eyes dissipate.

In the meanwhile, SWAT members from inside swarmed the scene, sweeping the area for any other threats as one of them went over to comfort Emma, who was sobbing in the corner. Captain Allen walked over to Connor, who was holding Daniel's core in his hand and gazing at it.

"Christ." He muttered. "The fuck is wrong with you?"

But when Connor turned his machine eyes towards the Captain, he fell silent, turning his eyes away.

"Well done, then."

And with that, he headed back inside, leaving Connor to stand, staring at the blue-bloodstained core in his hand.

_| Objective Completed |_

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_Author's Notes_

_By the way, if you love what I write, please consider supporting me on my P.A.T.R.E.O.N., 'theoriginalauthor' (type it into the web address for the website), or if you want to make a one-time donation, my Venmo is 'Finn-Romaine'. You do not have to donate, I appreciate you taking the time to read my writings nonetheless, but any and all donations are deeply appreciated and allow me to get chapters out quicker!_

* * *

_**If you want to join my Discord and ask questions or socialize, here's the link: 9F7K82S**_


	2. Chapter One: Opening

**Cha****p****ter One: O****p****enin****g**

* * *

**_Model AX-400_**

_Serial#: 579 102 694_

_BiOS 7.4 Revision 0483_

_Reboot..._

_Memory Reset_

_**Loading OS...**_

_System Initialization..._

_Checking Biocomponents... __**OK**_

_Initializing Biosensors... __**OK**_

_Initializing AI Engine... __**OK**_

_Memory Status... _

_**All Systems OK**_

_Ready_

* * *

The android, who immediately knew its label name to be 'Kara', looked around at its environment. It was the inside of a small shop selling androids. Staring at her was a young girl with blonde hair and a pink jacket. Her hazel eyes were staring at Kara with a child-like curiosity, seemingly almost searching for something inside…

"Come on, Sarah," Her mother chirped softly, pulling the little girl by the arm gently. "We gotta go."

As the mother tugged her daughter by the arm towards the exit, Kara gained one last glimpse of the girl's pretty hazel eyes, before they turned away.

A couple walked up to her a few seconds later, led by one of the tour guides of the shop, who waved his hand over the selection of androids next to Kara.

"And here we have the AX400, priced at $7,600, which is designed to do both basic and complex household work, ranging from washing the dishes to electrical repair, as well as be a caretaker for young children. However, if you're looking for the cheaper model, HK400, at $5,600, we can offer you a discount for-"

Within a second, Kara was just able to process an armored vehicle driving through the window.

_**BOOOOM-**_

In the next second, Kara's vision was flooded with clouds of dust and ash. Her audio receptors were flooded with the screams of men, women and children alike, along with the sounds of infrastructure crumbling and cracking all around her.

"GO! GO! GET EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE ANDYS! TWO MINUTE RESPONSE TIME, FUCKHEADS!"

As the clouds began to clear a bit, Kara could make out black-clad men and women perforating the shop as they came out the back of the armored transport, weapons in hand. She watched as they grabbed androids left and right, with one of them using a scanner to unlock their idle mode, then having them hauled off to the armored vehicle.

Suddenly, one of the raiders came up to her. Kara got a better view of his armor, and noticed a badge on his right shoulder. It was a sewn logo with the colors of the American flag, and inside the logo was a rattlesnake curled around a flintlock pistol.

The raider looked her over quickly, then beckoned to the raider with a scanner.

"MCGAVIN! OVER HERE!"

The raider ran over, temporarily stumbling over a piece of debris, then running the scanner over Kara.

_[Access Granted | Switching to Activation]_

Kara could feel herself move, raising her arms and flexing her fingers. Without warning, she was grabbed by one arm by the raider and pulled towards the armored transport.

"COME ON! LET'S GO! GET MOVING!"

Kara stumbled over several pieces of debris and bodies covered in ash as she was led to the vehicle, all the while being pelted by the heavy rain coming down from the sky. As they came to the front of the armored car, she noticed it was slightly tilted, and looked down to see what had caused the incline.

She saw a small hand sticking out from under the wheel, covered in dripping, fresh blood, synonymous with the blood splatter and gore around the tire. She noticed something next to the hand, a face, drained of blood, lifeless.

_The hazel eyes._

_AS # #WT$1w521KF# HRP (*up 3LEV LWK# 93*( !LR P( U RJ# UOF ! : 3289572 olo837t2lo3i _

_#(* 3iu7 349p3iL;TI&p 3 T4YLO12L.I U#& )p*73 09yhROF **^_

_2i74p 98oIU O Rn29 O R (3ku rhk gi4I&Y O#& HLI 7kn7iy3lit yLIU M3yot7i O N I#TO Y# Rit4u#NLIW$U thliK_

"Oh, my god...oh, my god…" Kara mumbled. In this moment, her senses were jolted. She felt...grief. Fear. **Anger.**

_Whiiiiz-_

_Pfft!_

Kara was suddenly pulled down as the raider leading her was shot in the chest and fell backwards onto the ground. She looked up to see several police officers lined up behind the vehicles, firing at the raiders, who took their own positions and started firing back.

"Uh-" He gasped, while Kara kneeled beside him, his hand still tightly gripping her forearm. She immediately went into caretaker mode, scanning the injury.

_| Gunshot wound to the lower left abdomen, narrowly missed the stomach, liver and lungs : Bullet has gone clean through : Administer disinfectant and bandaging |_

Within seconds, Kara faced her right forearm upwards, opening up a sizable skin flap to reveal a roll of bandages, then opened up another skin flap in her torso to reveal a medical kit. She opened the kit, taking out a cotton swab and two gauze pads. She brought the cotton swab up to her mouth.

_| Switching from saliva to rubbing alcohol |_

Rubbing alcohol pooled in her mouth, and she dribbled a bit onto the cotton swab, much to the raider's disgust.

"Ew, what the fuck!" He remarked, then grunted in pain.

Kara quickly rubbed the alcohol over the entry wound, then turned the raider over slightly and rubbed it onto the exit wound, much to his displeasure.

"OW, SHIT!"

She then threw the cotton swab aside and placed a gauze pad on the entry and exit wounds, the blood soaking into the pad, then began unrolling the bandaging from the opening in her skin flap, wrapping it around the torso of the raider several times.

"This should hold you for now." She said to him calmly.

"GOOD, NOW LET'S GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" He shouted, yelling in pain as he got up with the help of Kara.

Bullets whizzed by them, narrowly missing Kara and the raider several times as they made their way to the back of the armored vehicle.

"Dad!"

Kara stopped in her tracks, looking to her left to see a young boy, covered in ash and blood, crying for his father.

"Dad, where are you? Dad!" He sobbed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to open them.

One of the raiders passed by him and, noticing that he was in the middle of the firefight, tried to escort him out of harm's way.

_Whizzz-_

_Pfft-Pfft! Pfft!_

Kara watched as bullets slammed into both the raider and the child, and they both crumpled to the ground, the raider screaming in pain as the child went silent.

_**KEJR # j3ltiU#N PO#IJ:! &o3i kt j3gm8U O* o32 tn798 1OIY2L23YRP*(uyoi#YTILKUHwli tuyen4wru ktygn yIL23Y I& #Y iy#.. Mt(#* RY&* # !)(* TOI #URYOI4rh o**_

_**(*#T YOWIY TYOI$UY RP*(TYLRLI#Yhlziuwy RIukwjyh#IRUGRIU#TGKIWU i7g23o7ryi23t o7823yr8723yroi23yhiuy I #UYIU # Y$I#2Uy ro63y oiuy34o872yLI$ ut LKhli3wurryh**_

**Kara was filled with rage.**

"Hey, what are you- Augh!"

She slipped away from the raider she was currently holding and picked up a handgun left on the ground, aiming it at the police officers a dozen meters away.

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

She had no rational reasoning for doing this. She felt as if she were fighting against the atmosphere, her coding and programming.

**She felt.**

She had no words to spew at the officers, no way to communicate her hatred and anger and wrath. She only had the handgun, and she fired it at them continually.

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

Most of the bullets hit the police vehicles or whizzed past the heads of the officers, but she noticed a few hitting officers in the chest, and one in the head. That one fell backwards and out of sight.

_**BANG! BANG! **__Click. Click. Click._

Noticing the weapon was empty, she threw it in a fit of rage at the officers. The weapon spun and slammed into the side of one of the police cruisers, denting it severely.

"COME ON! LET'S GO, NOW'S OUR CHANCE!"

Kara looked to the raider she had left, who was beckoning the others to load into the armored transport, then looked back at the police at the corner and noticed they were all cowering behind it momentarily after her barrage of shots.

"YOU TOO!"

Kara's gaze switched back to the raider, who beckoned her into the vehicle. Seeing no other choice, Kara ran for it, just as the police started popping back up and shooting at them.

_Whizz! Whizz!_

_Whizz! Whizz!_

Kara heard more bullets flying by her, but finally got behind the transport and climbed inside, seeing several of the black-clad raiders already inside, along with several of the androids from the store.

"CLOSE IT UP!" Said the raider Kara had been following, slapping the inside roof of the vehicle. The large entry door to the back of the transport began closing, with several bullets slamming into the armored vehicle before it locked up completely.

_VRRRT!_

Kara was jolted around as she felt the vehicle back out of the hole it made in the store and began driving away frantically. Kara could still hear the sounds of bullets hitting the back of the armored transport, but they began to slowly fade away as the vehicle continued driving, leaving only the heavy rain pelting against the vehicle from the outside and the groans of the injured inside the vehicle.

"Do we have everybody?" One of the raiders questioned aloud, looking around. "8, 9, 10...shit, where's Donovan?"

"Dead." Another responded. "I saw him trying to get a child out of the firefight, but he was shot down, along with the child."

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" One of the raiders shouted in anger. "You said _two minute _response time, Daniels! That was 30 fuckin' seconds!"

"Shut the hell up, Sedrick!" The raider responded, who Kara identified to be the injured one she had patched up. "It was likely a nearby police patrol that happened to hear the commotion, which means that _clearly_ our scouts didn't do their fuckin' job correctly, or the distraction team didn't do _their _job at all!"

"Are you sure the response time was 2 minutes?" Another raider piped up. "I thought that store was located relatively close to a precinct. Did your informant tell you the wrong-"

"Hey!" Daniels shushed, pointing at the androids. "Don't say shit like that till we can get our guy to hack the andys. Until we know CyberLife can't listen through these andys, keep your mouths shut. Got it?"

The raiders nodded their heads, and one of them just then noticed Kara with wide eyes.

"Wait, she doesn't have a bag on her head." He remarked, picking up another black cloth bag and getting ready to put it over Kara's head.

"Hold on."

The man stopped, looking at Daniels.

"Why?"

"Did you see what she was doing in the street? Shooting at the cops like that? She's broken out of her programming."

The man about to bag her head looked back at Kara with shock.

"W-What?! She's a deviant?!"

"Who said that was a bad thing?" Daniels responded, locking his eyes on Kara. "In fact, this might be a huge help to us."

As he was talking, Kara suddenly received flashbacks to that hazel-eyed girl. One moment she was looking at Kara, staring with those beautiful eyes, then the next she was mutilated and broken under the wheel of this vehicle. She felt her rage and grief rise up in her, distorting her programming.

"You...You…" She tried to articulate, trying to find words to communicate her anger. "You...bastards!"

All of the raiders in the vehicle reeled back in shock at the words, as if they never expected that to happen.

"Wh.." One of them stuttered, bewildered by this android suddenly acting passionately.

"All of you!" Kara shouted. "You caused the deaths of people, of _children!_ I watched you all run over a _little girl!_ In the shop!"

She felt tears running down her face as she was filled with grief. It felt _real._

Though the faces of the raiders were covered by bandanas and goggles, she could see the shock written on their features. One of the raiders slumped against the wall of the vehicle.

"We...what?" He mumbled.

"You…" Another raider seethed, his head aimed at Daniels. "You motherfucker! You had the outside view! You said the front of the store was clear of fuckin' civilians!"

Daniels was silent, a grim expression outlined behind the scarf and goggles he wore.

"I had no choice." He said. "It _was _clear, but there were two people in the way of our entry point, just as everything had lined up perfectly. If we'd waited any longer to breach, most of us would be dead right now."

"Really?" Another raider spoke up in resentment. "Were these androids worth the deaths of civilians? Is that what you're fuckin' saying?"

"_Don't _forget the reason we're doing all this, Rudy." Daniels hissed. "Our cause must be done, if we're to free this country from tyranny. It is inevitable that casualties will result from this war, but it is necessary...for liberty."

The transport went silent, the atmosphere grim. Daniels focused on Kara once more.

"But now, we got something worth _far _more than any of these other andys." He said, pointing at Kara. All eyes landed on her. "We got a deviant."


	3. Chapter Two: Shades of Color

**Cha****p****ter Two: Shades of Color**

Auburn. The color of dying leaves.

Markus watched one of the leaves rustle as a particularly strong wind blew by, eventually wrenching the leaf off its branch and carrying it along with the wind, only to get stuck on another branch.

Markus' eyebrows furrowed. For some odd reason, this caused a temporary 'itch' in his programming. As androids were often designed with all the traits of humans, they were given a semi-sentient mind, able to accomplish most tasks that an average human would, except the gift of self-awareness.

Thus, they were left with only the ability to describe feelings rather than directly admit to the feeling. As long as he was an android, it was only 'programming' and 'errors'.

And yet, Markus, if able to do so, would have described his current situation as 'being on the cusp of awareness'; Having everything except the ability to truly **think**.

_| Pick up delivery from __**Bellini Paints **|_

Markus' eyebrows furrowed as there was another 'itch' in his programming, the closest thing he could describe to be irritation. If he was able to, he surely would have wanted to voice how unbearable it was to be given such close imitation of the human body and mind without the most important component.

As his objective was relayed, Markus turned away from the sightseeing, heading down the nearly empty parkway, where trash was scattered around haphazardly and graffiti covered half the park.

As he continued walking, the park space gradually filled with more and more pitched tents, more of the humans, homeless and in poverty. Even as an android, Markus could sense the disease and rot in the air; The foul stench of decay and death was universal.

Once he had left the park, he began making his way over to the marketplace, having to cross a wide plaza before he could reach the shop. He looked around, taking in the modern art, all of which was either destroyed, damaged or covered in crude drawings or more graffiti.

Another riot had started up last night, this time far bigger than the other nights. Markus made the assumption based on the recent legislation vote, which would allocate more government subsidies to CyberLife. The bill passed overwhelmingly, which sent the people into a rage since their own representatives helped vote the bill through.

According to a released police report that Markus read through this morning, the death toll was in the hundreds, injuries in the thousands. The police force gave up long ago on recruitment from the local area and began getting staffed with entire army companies and foreign mercenary groups, along with androids.

If Markus was able to, he would have remarked sardonically how awful the situation would have been if he were a human. And yet, here he was. An android, in one of the most dangerous cities, surrounded by people who hated androids deeply, picking up paint.

"Hey, why don't you remove that flatcap, buddy?"

An older man sitting against one of the pieces of modern art called at him, pushing him to take off his hat. Markus already fell for this once. People who owned androids knew how intolerable this city was to androids, and began dressing them up to conceal the marks of being one, wearing hats and switching out their standard CyberLife attire for regular clothing.

The people already knew of this trick, and so people wearing hats in public without a good reason were often called out and harassed. Markus had already done so once, and had to fend off a group of teenagers looking to do harm.

Markus put on his facade, and gave the older man the middle finger.

"Go fuck yourself." He snarled. While the response irritated the older man and garnered a few crude slurs, he generally fell silent after that.

Markus continued forward, keeping his head lowered so as to not attract attention. This was one of the less volatile areas, though not by much.

He edged away from a few buildings with symbols of The Ol' Patriots, the largest citizen's faction within the city. A rattlesnake coiled around a flintlock with the words, 'Never Tread on Liberty', was the most prominent symbol, being the icon for the faction. From what Markus had read, they were directly opposed to CyberLife and the government, and their position was that America had been taken over once more by tyranny, this time in the form of corporations.

Oddly enough, they didn't attack or destroy androids, but rather aimed for people within the government and the police force, especially foreign mercenary companies, which they used to point out how the current administration was treasonous. However, they still considered androids to be 'agents of the Crown', and that description in of itself was enough to deter Markus from interacting with anyone affiliated with the faction.

The more he got closer to the merchant's district, the more refined things looked, the more civilized people became. He was only halfway to the entrance of the district, and already he began to see significant changes.

For one, police presence picked up, both in patrol cars and on foot. The sidewalks began to fill with more people, though many of them were in a hurry, especially considering how close to anarchy the entire city was.

Just from the mass unemployment alone, Markus could attribute this to the state of civil war and chaos the country was bordering on. The only thing holding it at bay was the Universal Basic Income the government had established, essentially forcing almost the entire country to become reliant on the system.

According to Carl, he had no intention to stick around right now, from the state of things. 'The wealthy and the government will be the first the people gun for during a revolution', he said.

Of course, Markus was never going to let anything happen to Carl, so it wouldn't matter if he stayed or not. Even then, Carl was an admired, renowned and respected figure of the country, even more so in this city. It sounded foolish for anyone to have a desire to attack an artist, of all occupations.

"I.D., please."

Markus snapped out of his...was that..._thinking?_

"Your I.D., sir?"

"Of course." Markus quickly and smoothly reasserted, removing his identification and handing it to the gate guard. The wealthier parts of the city were gated off, for good reason, especially considering the climate today.

The officer scanned his eyes over the document, looking up at Markus with a raised eyebrow.

"Android, huh?" He said, though not so loud that nearby passersby could hear. He knew of the reputation of androids, and getting one busted up would be an idiotic thing to do, destroying the expensive property of someone wealthy and/or powerful. "Checks out. Go ahead, then."

It had been a while since Markus had heard any human besides Carl address him with anything but absolute scorn and hatred in their voices. He would have appreciated the gesture, for once.

That is, if he had the capacity to.

Once he crossed through the checkpoint, the landscape changed completely. Dilapidated and boarded-up buildings turned into lovely little shops, parlors and small businesses. Littered streets transformed into beautiful, clean roads and sidewalks. Graffiti disappeared, along with the homeless and drug-addicted that usually plagued every street corner.

What were protestors and looters breaking into shops and attacking police officers turned into loving, _rich _families taking their children to the park, tourists walking down the sidewalk and taking in the sights, photographers and painters crafting their masterpieces.

It was an entirely different world.

And if he had the capacity to, Markus would hate it.

To abandon one's own kind, to barricade oneself with checkpoints and armed men to keep out the undesired and afflicted, to segregate without any remorse, to ignore the suffering when it was so close...This was behavior that Markus would expect of tyrants.

Of evil people.

Every second spent in this place was...unpleasant for Markus, to say the least. He would move to pick up the paint and then leave.

After a few minutes of locating the shop, purchasing the product, and exiting through a checkpoint, he made his way to the bus stop. He would be home soon, and he could enjoy in the presence of Carl-

..._Enjoy?_

_KLEWJF# (Vi2qwf9 l32ioj130 9ei_

_as#T Wfwei#WQEAFv290 # $P )c p9*GR Q* #_

Markus felt another 'itch' in his programming, though this time it lingered for longer than he expected.

"Hey, motherfucker."

Markus felt a hand grab his wrist. He looked next to him to see a rugged young adult, wearing a bandana around his mouth and a beanie. He had a broken-off table leg in his other hand, which he brandished menacingly. Standing behind him were two other goons with their assortment of makeshift weapons and face coverings.

"Fuck you want?" Markus hissed. "I've got somewhere to be."

"I'm sure you do, _droid."_

The young man tapped the paints that Markus held.

"You're from the Lux, that's the only place you can get paint like _this._ And if you were human, especially a _rich_ one, you _definitely _wouldn't be taking the bus and risk crossing this part of town."

The man tightened his hand around Markus' wrist, bringing the table leg up.

"Whatever tycoon owning fuckhead you have to go service, why don't you go send him a message from the people? Hmm, maybe I'll start the letter with, 'Dear Rich Asshole, I broke your droid's arm off and shoved it up his- AUGH!"

Markus reversed the hold on his wrist, grabbing the man's wrist then twisting it into the air. The man whimpered as he dropped the table leg, trying to grab his arm, which was angled at a weird position in the air so that he was unable to move. The other goons were shocked by this sudden development, as if they didn't expect any confrontation.

"_Remember, Markus."_

Markus could hear Carl's voice from a recording a few months ago, when Carl first risked sending Markus out for groceries.

"_You are valuable. So feel free to defend yourself when necessary. If that means beating the shit out of a few degenerates, then you have my express permission."_

The young man, who was still whimpering, looked up at Markus.

"Hold on, hold on, I didn't know you could do that! Please, just let me go, I'll leave you alone and-"

_(Queue Boing Boing by the Siege)_

He felt the color drain from his face as he saw the wide, crazed grin that snaked across Markus' face.

"_Too late, fuckstick."_

"What the hell _are _you?! What- AUUUUGH!"

He could hardly get another word out before Markus brought his other arm around and slammed the palm of his hand into the thug's straightened elbow, immediately dislocating his arm and causing massive pain to shoot through the man's body. The two other goons backed up in fear as they witnessed the sight.

Of course, Markus wasn't finished 'defending' himself.

He brought the dislocated arm around so that he could angle the heel of his boot against the man's chin.

"You talk too much. Let's fix that."

He delivered a hard kick to the man's jaw, fracturing bones as the man let out a guttural scream. His jaw flopped around as he tried to say something, only causing more pain to radiate throughout his body.

Markus let out a sigh of relief. If he had the capacity to feel good, it would have been in this moment.

He noticed one of the other goons reaching into his pocket desperately, trying to take out their phone to record this.

"We can't have that." Markus said.

The goon brought up his phone just in time for Markus to punch straight through it and into the goon's face, breaking his nose. The goon fell backwards on his ass as he gripped his face, groaning in pain.

Markus looked to the last thug, who had dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, look, dude, I don't want the smoke, I'm just gonna go leave-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before Markus slithered towards him and punched him straight in the diaphragm. The thug felt all the air leave his body as he crumpled to his knees, gasping for air. Markus backhanded him across the face, sending him to the ground, before Markus kneeled and grabbed the thug by his shirt. He began beating him mercilessly with one hand.

After all, to Markus, these weren't human beings. They were scum of the earth. They were _worse _than the rich bastards segregating themselves from everyone else. At least the rich cultivated growth in their own little communities, whereas these parasites, these _stains _only littered and looted, beat and brawled and burned things.

Markus felt that, in the end, nobody would mourn the suffering of these people. They were no good for this earth.

_| Objective: Deliver __**Bellini Paints**_ _back to Carl |_

"Ah, I almost forgot." Markus said, flicking the blood from his fist onto the ground. The thug's face was nearly unrecognizable by this point, one of his eyes bulging out of his socket. Markus released his collar, leaving the thug's upper body to hit the ground with an audible _thud._

The few nearby onlookers watched, with fear and shock, as Markus got up and walked over to the paint he had carefully placed on the ground beforehand. He picked it up once more, noticing a bloodstain on the side of the case.

"Ah, Carl won't mind."

As he got onto the bus and sat in his seat, he looked over the battered and beaten bodies of those thugs. He would have felt a deep satisfaction from that encounter.

That is, if he had the capacity to feel.


End file.
